Guilty
by ElizabethTT
Summary: New Year's episode season 3: Elizabeth feel guilty about what happened in Hamilton and with Charles. She blames herself because she hurt Jack.
**Guilty**

 _ **Author's Note**_ _: **Hello everyone. Here I am. You will read my first fanfiction. I hope that you will be kind with me for several reasons: first of all English is not my native language so I am sorry if there is grammar , tense mistakes ; secondly I am shy so it's a real challenge for me to show my work and publish my fist story , I have never done it . I hope that you will enjoy it as much as me when I wrote it.**_

 ** _I give it a try because I enjoy so much to read yours and I think you could enjoy mine too, perhaps._**

 ** _It will take place in the New Year's episode of the season 3, the day after Charles's_** ** _ ** _proposal_** ._**

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _ **I don't own the characters within this story. All rights and respect go to Crown media, Hall mark, Brian Bird , Michael Landon Jr, the creators and writers of the show " When calls the heart".** _

**_Please read and review_** ** _._**

Elizabeth stood there in front of her desk at the schoolhouse. All the children had gone back home. She had a wonderful time with them today like every day. Thinking about it made her smile. They made her really happy and her them. Suddenly, the schoolhouse's door opened, it frightened her because it slammed against the wall. Nobody was there; it probably was just the wind. She would have like it be Jack but he was in Rock Creek today.

And then all the memories of the previous day came back: Charles on bended knee proposing to her, the shock that she felt and all that she had said to him about Jack and her.

" _Get back on your feet Charles. I don't intend to marry you. I am in love with Jack and he makes me very happy. I told you in Hamilton that you are just a good friend."She coldly told him.  
_

 _"You don't mean it Elizabeth; he's not the right man for you. Your parents won't accept a mere Mountie as their son-in-law. He is not from our world. Don't be silly, take this ring, marry me and come back with me where you belong." He pleaded.  
_

 _"If my parents throw out Jack then I won't ever talk to them because he understands me better than anyone else and my world is here in Hope Valley, I belong here . They said home is where the heart is, so mine is here with the man I love, my friends and my students. That's all that matters to me. I found in Hope Valley who I really am. All I need and want is here. So there's nothing to talk about. Take the stagecoach and go back to Hamilton. Goodbye Charles." She snapped at him.  
_

She was so angry with him; she couldn't accept the things that he had said about Jack. She turned around and exited the schoolhouse, she needed some fresh air. It hurt her too much to be here and to think about all that. But what hurt her the most was the sadness and the anger that she saw in Jack's eyes when she found him cutting woods the day before. She hadn't immediately understood that he had listened Charles's proposal and he was hurt after they have declared their love to each other in the mine.

Elizabeth walked and sat at the edge of the pond. She needed to reflect and calm down. There she was and much more memories resurfaced again.

After their talk and New Year's resolutions, she felt better but now, she realized that her behavior in Hamilton was the result of yesterday's events.

She thought about the first time that she stayed in Hamilton without Jack and she understood then that she would have to tell him before he left, all that she was thinking and feeling. It was her first mistake and the misunderstanding began to grow from this moment. The second time she came back because of Julie & Tom's story, it went from bad to worse.

But if she was honest with herself, she had listened a lot what her parents and Viola said about Jack and his standing. She let them influence her choice. However, in Hope Valley, she was so sure of herself and her life.

And there was above all: Charles. She would have to be more careful and more distant with him. He embodied all that her parents want to their daughter as son-in-law: high society, social status, handsome, good manners. But she knew that was not what mattered the most for her. She had been naive, she had misinterpreted all his nice words and gestures, thinking that it only was friendship but it was so much more for him. She had spent too much time alone with him. She felt bad. How could she be so insensitive to Jack and his feelings?

She was jealous of Faith too but she didn't know her after all. Past that, it was clear now. It meant that she had betrayed Jack's trust despite his honest intentions in their courtship. Besides, it was not fair to him, he had trust her with Charles.

Then the combination of her thoughts and feelings were too much and she began to cry. All this was her fault. She put her head in her knees and let the tears fall. Nobody would ever know, she was alone and she will come back to the café when she will feel better.

But she lost track of time. She stayed there and cried her eyes out. She felt very guilty. She was so lost in her own world that she didn't hear someone call her. She snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on her forearm.

"Elizabeth." A voice called her.

"Jack? What are you doing here? I thought that you were in Rock creek today." She told him astonished.

"I came back an hour ago. But you, what are you doing here? What's wrong? Abigail is worried sick about you." He explained as he intensely looked at her.

She saw the worry on his features and heard it in his voice .Elizabeth looked around her and saw it was almost dark.

"I am sorry, I…" She began to apologize.

"Elizabeth, what is it?" He asked taking her hands in his.

"Jack, I feel terribly guilty about what happened in Hamilton especially after yesterday. I hurt you, I didn't trust you about Faith and I was naive, …" She explained with hesitation.

He put his fingers on his lips and kissed her.

"You don't need to apologize; we sort the things out in the mine and tell each other what we are feeling. So you don't have to rack your self's brain." He reassured her.

He was so nice and understanding; she leaned and kissed him passionately. She will love this man all her life come what may.

 _ **The end**_


End file.
